Once a Gryffindor
by JustCallMeTana
Summary: Once a Gryffindor always a Gryffindor, right? Wrong.
1. Chapter 1

**Well, here it is, my first attempt at Harry Potter FanFiction! I hope it doesn't suck!:) i don't think I copied anything, but maybe it resembles another story, if it does, I apologize, it is purely coincidental! I own no HP characters!**

**ALLONS-Y**

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In a school of magic, there is very little that comes as a surprise. Explosions are a common occurrence. Owls swooping in and out of windows are expected, and unconscious students on the floors of classrooms hardly cause a stir. Years can pass without anything remotely interesting (at least for the wizarding world) happening. No one could have expected the events of this year, seeing as they had never happened before. And thus the story begins.

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The tables in the great hall of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry were filling quickly as students returned for yet another year of learning. Because of the war, all students had been invited to repeat the year if they chose. It was not required, but it was encouraged and the majority of the 7th years had come back to the school they all loved. The students were sitting closer than they had before with the extra students.

For couples like Harry Potter and Ginny Weasley, this was a welcomed change that gave them an excuse to sit close together, even under the disapproving eye of Ron. But for post-breakup friendships like Hermione's and Ron's, it was extremely awkward and uncomfortable.

"Ow!" Hermione squawked, "Ron, those were my ribs you just elbowed!'"Ron quickly pulled his arm out of the way, only to hit Neville, who occupied his other side. Neville glared, thinking that Ron hit him on purpose and pushed him back. After the war, Neville had stopped taking any abuse or teasing. He was hardened and always cautious. Neville was the new face of 'Constant Vigilance'. His action caused a shoving match between them and Hermione was caught on one end of it.

Just as she was about to fall out of her seat, McGonagall's magnified voice filled the hall.

"Welcome everyone to another year at Hogwarts." The hall was silent within seconds and everyone was staring at the new headmistress. The sorting hat twitched where it sat on the familiar stools and began its tale, this year focusing on tragedy bringing togetherness. The hat was as cryptic and confusing as always, but its long speech was concluded with the loud applause of the students. Without anymore introduction, McGonagall began to read the names of the new first years. The list was shorter than previous years, but still too long for the hungry, uncomfortable students already at the tables.

As the last student was sorted, the headmistress stepped forward with a small smile.

"I am not going to keep you from your food for any longer, let's eat!" She raised her arms and the delicious food appeared on the tables. The war had obviously not affected the house elves much because the food was as good, or even better, than it usually was.

When everyone was done with their dinner, it disappeared off the golden plates and they waited expectantly for the dessert to appear. Ron had even gone so far as to pick up a fork so he could be the first one to get to the dessert. Hermione looked at him, disgusted, and wondered what she had ever seen in him. Looking at her friends, she couldn't help but be a little embarrassed. All of her friends were acting like children. Poking each other with spoons and flicking pieces of paper at the first years, who were already nervous. One little girl looked like she was about to cry after Ginny flicked the 5th paper football at her.

As soon as she thought it, she felt guilty. These were the people who had stood up for her since she was 11 and they would be there until she was 111. They were just trying to have fun. Hermione hung her head, but couldn't shake the feeling that her friends were not even trying to include her in the conversation.

Hermione tried to hide her expression, but soon had to pull her head up when she head angry voices from around the room. She looked to see what was wrong and didn't see anything out of the ordinary. She turned to ask Ron what the matter was when she was him, not yelling, but staring at his plate sadly. The dessert had not appeared.

"May I have everyone's attention?" A voice spoke clearly over the crowd and the yelling stopped as everyone looked to the head of the room. Despite having already been stored away, the voice could only have been from one being. The Sorting Hat was back.

Mouths hung open in surprise and Ron dropped his fork. The sorting hat had never come back after the sorting was over and now, it was floating at the front of the room. Clearing its…throat?...it began a new song.

"_A war has been won at quite a cost_

_While lives have been saved, many were lost_

_A new time has come to this school_

_A time with new people, a time with new rules_

_While nearly everyone has remained the same_

_A select few of you students have changed_

_No longer do you sit where you belong_

_Which is why I bring this new song_

_Please do not fret, it is not the end_

_Those who are enemies will become friends"_

From the hat dropped a piece of paper. Professor McGonagall quickly reached down to pick it up and read through the words. Mouth in a straight line, she looked up at the students.

"The hat has decided that a new sorting must be held.'"Everyone started talking at once to their friends and neighbors, but the chatter did not last long. "As I was saying!" McGonagall interrupted. "The hat has decided to re-sort a few students, and as it always seems to know a bit more that we do, I say we listen to what is has to say. If the rest of the faculty will agree, then we will continue with the sorting. Remember, nothing is set in stone." She looked back at the head table for the permission of the rest of the teachers. They all looked nervous but none objected.

Without another word, she looked back at the piece of paper and read the first name.

"Dean Thomas." Dean's face was terrified, but his actions were strong and sure. He moved to the front of the room and, because there was no stool, he stood facing the students who were now perfectly silent. The hat perched on his head like it would a first year, but instead of deciding which house to put him in, the hat bathed Dean in a faint gold light. "RAVENCLAW!" The light turned the deep blue of the Ravenclaw crest, and the badge on his robe, which had previously shown him to be a Gryffindor, turned into one that identified him as a Ravenclaw.

Gasps were heard throughout the crowd as the spectacle before them, and Dean's face was blank as the hat rose from his head. He moved to go and sit back down in his seat only to realize he had no idea which table to sit at.

Catching his problem, McGonagall directed him to sit back down at his old table. The stunned faces of the audience kept their form as the next name was called, then another, and another. Soon, about ten students were wearing robes that held unfamiliar colors.

Finally, McGonagall looked at the paper for a final time. For a moment, all color left her face before she quickly regained composure. She opened her mouth slowly, as if not believing the words she was about to read.

"Hermione Granger." You could have heard a pin drop on a pillow. All rustling stopped and all eyes were one the unsuspecting girl. One of the golden trio was being separated? Impossible.

Hermione slowly stood from her seat at the table and carefully made her way to the front of the room. Her palms were sweating as she fingered the sleeves of her robe. When she reached the hat, Hermione turned to face the crowd as it slipped down to just below her eyes. A voice cut into her mind, as she saw the gold light from underneath the brim of the hat.

"_Do not be alarmed child," The voice spoke comfortingly, "Every single one of you has been wondering the same thing… Why?" It chuckled, "The answer will come in time." _

The hat spoke aloud as Hermione was bathed in a bright green light, and it gave the word no one expected.

"SLYTHERIN!"

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**If anyone has tips to help make my writing better, please tell me! I love feedback!**


	2. Chapter 2

The hall was silent for only a split second before the screams erupted. The entire Gryffindor table was on their feet and shaking their fists.

"What!?"

"Are you mad?"

"Slytherin!"

"Ravenclaw, maybe!"

And so it went on for about 5 minutes. Nothing the teachers could do would quiet the angry students. The only table not making a ruckus was the Slytherin table. Some of them looked mad at the abuse they were taking, some of the younger students were embarrassed of the house they were sorted into, but most of them were just surprised that THE Hermione Granger has just been sorted into Slytherin.

Surprisingly, the girl herself was very calm. 'I knew something was up.' She thought calmly, 'It's not like this is any surprise, I have all the motivation and cunning to be a Slytherin.'

'_Ah,' _The hat chuckled from its position still on her head, _'You are a clever one, Miss Hermione Granger. Never let anyone tell you different.' _It then lifted itself from her head and floated back the way it came. The desserts appeared on the tabled, but very few people had noticed. Most of them were still on their feet.

Finally, McGonagall had had enough. "_Silencio!" _She said with a wave of her wand. The hall was immediately silent, and she sighed in relief. "May I please," She said calmly, "Have all of the newly sorted student follow me to discuss the situation. The rest of you, enjoy your dessert." With that, she swept out of the hall to a plain door behind the head table. Hermione recognized it as the door where the tri-wizard champions had gone in their fourth year. She followed the headmistress and heard the footsteps of the other confused students behind her.

A young Gryffindor (previously a hufflepuff) was the last to enter, and the door shut behind her. McGonagall's spell disappeared in the great hall and the yelling resumed once again at a muffled volume. She looked over the frightened group and her eyes landed on the Gryffindor prefect.

"Miss Granger, " Hermione's head shot up attentively and nodded that she was listening.

"Yes, Headmistress."

"It seems to me that, at the moment, you have the clearest head. Would you like to start off the group by giving you thoughts on the matter?" Hermione looked around the group for a moment before she smiled.

"It seems to me," She began, "The hat knew exactly what it was doing when it re-sorted us. " A few intakes of breath were heard, but everyone was still too scared to say anything. "Daniel," A fourth year Ravenclaw who had just been put into Gryffindor looked frightened at the address and Hermione's voice was low so she didn't scare him. "You were at the battle of Hogwarts, am I correct?" He nodded slightly but then found his voice.

"Yes, I was there." Hermione smiled slightly larger.

"And did you happen to save someone during the battle?" His ears and cheeks turned pink but he stood up straight to answer.

"One of the teachers was trying to get us out of the castle, but the tunnel they were leading us out was blocked. All of the older students were at the battle, so I was put in charge of clearing the passage to let everyone out. Only," he suddenly shivered, "One of the first years was grabbed by a death eater, and I stunned him." He puffed out his chest proudly, "I didn't even think about it, I just hit him with the spell so he would let the little girl go." By now, Daniel was beaming and Hermione along with him.

"You see," Hermione spoke, "Daniel just told us that he began relying on bravery and instinct more than brains and planning; therefore, he is no longer a Ravenclaw, but a Gryffindor." Expressions cleared and most smiles appeared as the others began thinking about the changes they had experienced over the summer. McGonagall smiled proudly at her students as she called the prefects into the back room.

The smiling turned into talking and soon all of the students were chatting happily. One young boy, however, looked at the confident 7th year with a confused frown.

"Miss Granger?" Hermione turned to see the 4th year who had just been sorted into Ravenclaw. He looked nervous.

"Can I help you…?"

"Name's Michael Robinns, can I ask you a question?"

"Sure, what do want to ask me?" Michael rubbed the back of his neck nervously and glanced at the other students. When he was assured that no one was going to hear his question, he turned back to Hermione.

"You're muggleborn aren't you?" Hermione hardly batted and eye before she replied.

"Yes, and?"

"You helped Harry Potter defeat You-Know-Who, correct?" Now she was the one confused, but she kept eye contact as she furrowed her brow.

"I'd say so, yes."

"Then how on earth did you get sorted into Slytherin?" The last question came out louder than intended and Michael's face became instantly red as he waited for the answer. Hermione opened her mouth in surprise. She quickly recovered and was ready to reply, but before any words could come out, a voice interrupted them from behind.

"Allow me to explain." To the surprise of many, including Hermione, Draco Malfoy had returned for his final year at Hogwarts.

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Once again, in light of the awkward situation, Hermione Granger was the only one who was able to remain perfectly calm as she turned to see the face of her former archenemy. The war had made him tired, and the bags under his eyes seemed to be a permanent trait. His robes hung somewhat loosely on his thinner than usual frame, and he almost looked guilty at having said anything.

If this had been their first encounter since the war, Hermione might have been surprised at his appearance, but during the summer, she had seen him a few times at the Ministry, where she had been helping with the war clean-up efforts.

He had been there once for his trial (where he had been sentenced to community service rather than jail time. The recommendation for the punishment was from a letter written the by the late Albus Dumbledore, who had somehow foreseen the outcome of the war and wanted to make sure that the young man who not be punished for a situation from with which he could not escape.) Twice for the trials for each of his parents (Who had not the luck that their son had, and had both been sentenced to life in Azkaban, which was still horrid even with the dementors gone), and, from there on, he had returned twice a week until the school year started for his community service.

For a moment, Draco looked like he wanted to disappear from where he was as all eyes were on him, but soon, his deeply rooted Malfoy pride took over and he stood tall.

"I apologize for interrupting, Granger," He said sincerely with a nod in her direction, "but pride in my house is the one thing I have left, and I'm not about to lose it." Malfoy stared at her for a moment before she realized he was asking permission to continue. Hermione nodded and she was sure that she saw Malfoy relax slightly at the gesture. He returned the nod before he turned to face the rest of the group.

"Coming from me, you might not want to believe it, but trust me when I tell you that Slytherin is not a house full of death eaters and pure bloods. Slytherin is a house based on power and cunning. Although we aren't the smartest, the bravest, or the nicest house, Slytherins always strive to do their best." He took a breath and looked at the surprised looks on other people's faces, when no one said anything, he continued. "Also, not all Slytherins are pure blood, the majority, yes, but only Salazar himself actually followed that rule. The sorting had is way too smart to misplace a student just because they have muggle parents." With a short nod of his head, Malfoy finished his speech before he looked down at his shoes with what could only have been shame. McGonagall finally broke the silence by clearing her throat. Immediately, the tension in the room dropped,

"Yes, well," She started nervously, trying not to show her confusion at the boy's behavior. "As all of our prefects are here, I think it's time to organize." She gave them the short overview, the one without Hermione's brilliant explanation. "I am now going to ask all of the newly sorted students to find the prefects of their new house. If you would rather stay in your old house, however; you may. Go one, hop to it." Everyone quickly began organizing, but Hermione did not move until a hand fell on her shoulder. Ron was behind her.

"Good thing you don't have to switch, right 'Mione. What a load of rubbish Malfoy was spouting off, right, well, let's get going. We have to meet the new recruits." He made to move her towards the other Gryffindors, but Hermione resisted as a guilty look came to her face. Ron turned to see why she wasn't moving and as soon as he saw her expression, his own turned dark.

"You're not thinking about-" But, as Hermione looked down at her shoes, Ron's face turned red in anger. "You would leave us to join Slytherin, just like that? Just like we never existed?"

"Ronald, it's not-"

"Except it is, Hermione!" He yelled, and all eyes were on the pair. "You're just going to get up and leave the only friends you've ever had because a mad old hat and a death eater told you that you could!"

"Mr. Weasley!" The headmistress tried to step in, but Ron wasn't finished.

"Don't be an idiot, Hermione! You're a mudblood, no one in Slytherin is ever going to accept you! Do you like being tortured?!" Anything else that Ron was going to say was cut off as Hermione pointed her wand at his face. Tears shone in her eyes as she looked at the raving red head. Her face was void of all emotion and when she spoke, her voice was calm but extremely cold.

"Think about the words you just said Ronald Weasley; think about them very hard before you say anything else. And then, don't, because there is nothing you can say right now that will change my decision." She lowered her wand slowly from Ron's stunned face which flashed guilty for only a moment before its expression turned stony.

"Have fun with your new life, Granger." He turned suddenly and left the room without a backwards glance. The silence from the hall was nothing compared to the pity filled silence in that small room. A single tear rolled down Hermione's face, but the rest of her face remained dry. She didn't bother to wipe it before she turned back to McGonagall.

"If you'll please excuse me." Hermione exited through the same door that Ron had just left, but instead of returning to her sear like he had, she walked down the center of the room with her shoulders back and her head held high. The eyes of all but one of the students followed her down the hall, but she ignored them as she left the room.

Hermione paid no attention to where she was going; instead she wandered that castle for what seemed like hours. She went up and down stairs, walked through hallways, and snuck behind tapestries. She was trying to get lost. She didn't want to believe what he was saying, but deep down, she knew it was true. The Slytherins would never accept her for her blood heritage and the Gryffindors would no longer accept her because of the "betrayal" she had just committed. Another tear fell down her cheek, what has she just done?

Hermione sat on the nearest stone bench and for the first time all day, she allowed herself to disappear in the depths of her mind. Faces and colors swirled as she closed her eyes. The sound of her footsteps had been replaced by a slight ringing as she attempted to find the reason for her own change. Scenes of the summer since the war flashed before her eyes and she found that she could not place the exact time when the change occurred. All she knew was that, slowly, the frivolity and easy-going attitudes of her friends had started to annoy her. Once the war was over, all anyone wanted to do was relax and sit back. None of them had realized that the fighting may have been over but there was still too much conflict. Too many people were depressed and looking for revenge.

The lull after the war would only last so long before the families of death eaters tried to fight back. Or the families who had fought for the good side might want all of the death eaters put to death for their crimes. To make the world good again someone would have to be the bigger person and reach out a hand to help everyone, good and bad, who had lost family and friends in the war.

Hermione knew that she would have to be the one to take charge and work to save magical world from any more destruction. She allowed herself a small smile. Yes, she had made the right decision. Slytherin needed her more that Gryffindor ever did.


	3. Chapter 3

"Hermione?" A voice pulled her from her thoughts and the smile never left her face as Hermione looked into the apologetic eyes of Draco Malfoy.

"We're on a first name basis?" She asked happily. Malfoy was reluctant to return the smile, lest she was going to attack him at any moment; either for what he had done before or during the war, but when she let out a small laugh, he couldn't help but lift the corner of his mouth.

"If you'd rather I call you Granger then I will." He sat down cautiously next to her. Neither of them spoke for a minute but Malfoy finally opened his mouth. "The official reason I am here is to show you to the dorm, that is, if you still would like to join us, but before we go I have something to say." Hermione looked at him curiously, and he suddenly looked nervous.

"I wanted to say I'm sorry for everything I've done to you. Not just during the battle, but also at school when I teased you. Most of all, I want to apologize for calling you a…" He closed his mouth and nodded, "Well, calling you a You-Know-What." Hermione cut him off with a glare and he immediately found his hand very interesting.

"Say it." Malfoy's head popped up and he looked surprised.

"What?"

"I want you to say it. I've gotten over and I want you to say it." His mouth hung open, but when he saw the hard look in her eyes, he knew she was serious.

"I'm sorry for ever calling you a mudblood. I don't care about that stuff anymore and I just wish that I never had. It's cowardly to just be saying this now, after the war, I know that, but as the muggles say 'No time like the present', er, right…that what they say, correct, I'm not actually up-to-date on muggle customs. But, when I was doing community service we spent a lot of time in muggle London. They're really not that bad, except for; you wouldn't believe what some of them wear! Well, I guess you would but," He would have said more, but was interrupted by Hermione's laughter. "What?" He said with a slight frown.

"You…" She tried to speak, but couldn't as she bent over laughing. After a minute, she had finally calmed down. "I may have been re-sorted, but you're the one that's changed. And," She smiled at him, "I forgive you…" She stood, "Draco, show me the way to the dorms." And, for the first time in months, Draco smiled.

"Sure thing, Hermione."

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_One Month Later_

"DRACO LUKAS MALFOY! YOU HAD BETTER GET YOUR ASS TO THE COMMON ROOM RIGHT NOW OR I SWEAR YOU WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO HAVE CHILDREN!" Draco sneered as he sauntered down the steps of the boy's dorms. He glared into the eyes of the loud girl at the bottom of the stairs.

"What is now, Granger, don't you have a book to read?" He smirked and Hermione all but growled.

"Well that's the problem, isn't it Malfoy. I would have a book to read if you hadn't taken it!" Draco smiled.

"Me? Now why on earth would I do that?"

"I don't know the hint came when I went to pick it up and in its place was a note saying 'Dear Hermione, I took your book. Love, Draco'." She flicked the piece of parchment in his face. "I'm no genius or anything, but I'm pretty sure you have it!" Draco only crossed his arms and rolled his eyes.

"You can't prove that was me." Hermione copied his pose before quickly pulling out her wand sticking Draco's feet to the floor. She then calmly walked past him and up the stairs to his dorm as he yelled complaints at her back. She quickly made her way to the bed she knew was his and lifted the pillow. There was the novel she had been reading before he had so rudely taken it. She quickly grabbed it and stalked back down the stairs. Draco was in the exact same position trying to find the counter-jinx so his feet would be unstuck. Hermione watched with her own smirk, but finally took pity and unstuck his feet.

"You're the one who left your book on the table." He grumbled quietly.

"Yes, and you are the one that picked it up without asking."

"I left you a note."

"And?" She frowned at him. Draco just shrugged.

"…I said love didn't I?" They just stared at each other for a moment before letting loose barks of loud laughter. Other Slytherins in the common room just looked at them oddly, but they were used to the bickering and laughter of the pair.

In the one month they had been in school, they had gone from acquaintances, to friends, and then to inseparable best friends. The entire school had been surprised by the friendship, but most everyone supported it.

Hermione only wished they could have been friends sooner. When Draco wasn't being a complete prat, he was actually really funny and very intelligent. Draco got along better with Hermione more than any of his other friends, even though he and Blaise had also become closer since both of their parents were locked up in Azkaban.

The two of them exited the common room, and behind them, the entrance turned once again into a plain brick wall. The dungeons were cold and Hermione couldn't help but shiver. Draco saw her from the corner of his eye and smirked.

"Cold again, Hermione, I swear you just want me to hug you." He said as he threw an arm around her shoulder. Hermione scoffed and pushed his arm away.

"Not all of us grew up in the dungeon, Draco. I happen to like sunlight and warmth. You might not be so pale if you didn't live underground, and even you have to admit it's freezing down here."

"Please, it's _at least_ slightly above freezing, and I resent that statement, I am naturally pale, lack of sunlight has nothing to do with it. Besides, you had better get used to the dungeons before winter comes. Now that _is_ freezing!"

"Should we go to the kitchens and get hot chocolate?" Hermione asked with a laugh.

"Yes." He suddenly took off running, and Hermione was left following him at a slightly more reasonable pace.

Draco disappeared around a corner as his best friend followed slowly behind him. He stopped and was prepared to jump out at her when suddenly her footsteps stopped. When she didn't start moving again, he furrowed his brown and went back to see what was happening. As soon as he moved back around the corner, she jumped at him and shouted. When he yelped in surprise, Hermione giggled and moved past him.

"Come on, Slowpoke, I want to get some hot chocolate." Draco recovered and caught up with Hermione.

"You're a little snot." He said matter-of-factly.

"You're a stick in the mud."

"Know-it-all."

"Meany Head."

"Meany Head?"

"Well we've used all the good ones, and it was either that or Ferret Face."

"I like Meany Head, it suits me." They began laughing again, but it only last for a moment before Draco stopped dead in the middle of the empty hallway. "Climb on my back, Hermione."

"Why on earth would I do that?"

"Because you walk slowly, and I want hot chocolate!" Instead of coming up with a witty comeback, Hermione silently agreed and set her hands on Draco's shoulders before jumping on his back. She wrapped her legs tightly around his waist before he took off running in the direction of the kitchen. She yelped and then laughed at her friends crazy antics. He made to turn another corner, but as he did, he narrowly avoided running into Headmistress McGonagall.

They stopped dead in their tracks, all hint of laughter was gone as they stood stalk still. Hermione did not move from her place on Draco's back. If she didn't move, maybe she would not be seen. Her plan was ruined when McGonagall caught her eye disapprovingly.

"Why is it," she said, "That I cannot come down a hallway without finding two of my 7th year prefects breaking the simplest rule at this school? You both know very well that there is no running in the hallways." Before Hermione could stop him, Draco was already talking.

"Actually, ma'am, I am the only one running. Miss Granger here," he gestured his head to the girl on his back, as if the teacher had not already seen her, "is just along for the ride." Hermione whacked him on the shoulder and McGonagall pursed her lips.

"I seem to be mistaken," she said sarcastically, "If this is true, then you are the only one who has detention with me tonight at 6 in the library; don't be late." She nodded at Hermione, whose face was beet red. "Miss Granger, please remove yourself from Mr. Malfoy's back, someone's going to get hurt." She nodded shortly and continued down the hall as Hermione slid off Draco's back. Her eyes followed the Headmistress down the hallway and as soon as she was out of sight, Hermione slapped Draco on the chest.

"Ow!" He yelped while rubbing the spot. "What in the name of Merlin was that for?"

"For being an imbecile!" Hermione continued her walk towards the kitchen, "She wouldn't have given you detention if you had just said sorry!"

"Now where's the fun in that?" He laughed, "Besides, dinner starts at 6:30, if I have detention at 6, then it's not going to take long." Hermione just rolled her eyes as they approached the fruit painting that guarded the kitchens. She moved to tickle the pear, but before she could touch the canvas, the painting swung open to sounds of laughter. Out of the hole in the wall came one Ronald Weasley.

Hermione involuntarily stepped back from the glare that Ron wore. Their relationship had not improved at all in the past month.

"What's the hold-up, Ron? Oh," Harry came out from behind the red head and nodded at Hermione. "Afternoon, Hermione. Malfoy." He nodded politely at Draco, and pushed Ron forward out of the way. Ron scowled, but he moved past the pair of Slytherins and stalked down the hall, not even waiting to see if Harry would follow. Harry smiled apologetically at Hermione.

"He'll come around." She smiled thoughtfully at Harry, who understood her friendship with Draco, even if he didn't understand why would leave the Gryffindor house.

"No he won't." She shook her head slightly. "I'm over it Harry, he's a prat. Have fun, by the way." She said with a small wave. Harry chuckled.

"Thanks; enjoy your snacks." He nodded to the kitchen, "Dobby was just telling us that you haven't been down in a while, he'll be happy to see you." They said their goodbyes as Harry jogged to catch up with Ron. Draco called after him.

"Oi, Potter, no running in the halls!" Hermione huffed and went through the portrait hole. Draco followed closely behind and the pair was greeted by a yell of excitement that almost broke their eardrums.

"Master Draco and Miss Hermione!" Dobby squealed as he recognized them, "It has been ages since Dobby has last seen you. Dobby was just telling Harry Potter that it has been ages since I had last seen you and now," He hopped up and down and clapped his hands, while his large ears flopped slightly from the movement, "You are here!" Hermione smiled at her favorite house elf, who was wearing a royal blue sweater which she had knitted herself, and a top hat that changed color with every bounce.

"It's wonderful to see you, Dobby! I adore your hat." Draco snorted, but Dobby smiled broadly at the comment.

"This hat was a gift to Dobby from the Weasley twins. Dobby received it in the mail just last week!" HE pulled a piece of parchment out of the hat, "They sent this note with it and Dobby will read you what it says because it just made Dobby laugh!" He was just unfolding the letter when he was interrupted by another house elf.

"Dobby," He said politely but sternly, "Why don't we get the master and mistress something to eat?" The letter was forgotten as Dobby's large eyes opened wider (if that was possible).

"Yes, of course,Mickey, right away." He shoved the letter back under his hat, "Can Dobby get you anything?"

"Yes please, Dobby," Draco said with a smile, "We were wondering if we could get some hot chocolate."

"Yes, Dobby will get that right away!" Dobby ran off, and another elf came up to offer them a plate of fudge. They each took a square with a thank you, and ate it while they waited for Dobby to come back. He arrived just a moment later with a large thermos bearing the Hogwarts crest and two black mugs with the Slytherin insignia. The pair grinned at the mugs and thanked Dobby who also handed them a large basket which they knew would be full of snacks that could feed a family of three for a week. The house elf who seemed to be in charge approached them again.

"Just put the thermos in the basket when you are done and leave it in your common room. Someone will pick it up, but you can keep the mugs. Headmaster Dumbledore ordered them before he…" The house elf trailed off as tears came to his eyes, and Hermione could feel Draco stiffen slightly beside her. She took his hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. The house elf had wiped his eyes on a small handkerchief. "Mickey is sorry. The headmaster was going to these mugs out to the students, but we never got the chance, so we is trying to give them away now." They thanked the elves again and gave a friendly farewell to Dobby, promising to visit again soon.

Hermione carried the basket while Draco held the thermos and mugs.

"Where are we going now?" Draco asked.

"Truthfully, the only place it's cold enough to drink hot chocolate is in the dungeons, so I guess we can go back down to the common room." He agreed and they went back the way they came; the hallways steadily becoming colder as they walked down a few staircases, and Hermione shivered again. One of the things she missed about being in Gryffindor was only having to come to the dungeons for potions.


End file.
